The Congress on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government over its “collapsed” examination system and demanded immediate dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated paper leaks and student suicides.
“prime minister [Narendra Modi] He makes reels before [board] exams for [his annual] Pariksha pe sharsha [interaction with students, teachers, and parents] “Kanhaiya Kumar, in-charge of Congress’s student wing, National Students Union of India (NSUI), is silent after the paper was leaked,” said Kanhaiya Kumar.
Kumar said the Congress, NSUI and Youth Congress will continue their agitation from Parliament to the streets. He cited complaints about the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) preliminary exam, where students alleged extracurricular questions and insufficient time for each question. “The UPSC syllabus is not leaking. NEET paper is leaking. That tells you everything about this government,” he said, referring to the National Eligibility Test for Undergraduate Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026.
He said Modi did not say a single word on the NEET issue and questioned the need to keep the “incompetent” education minister in office. “It is your Cabinet Secretary, not Trump’s Cabinet, that you are trembling over.”
The National Testing Agency (NTA) canceled the NEET-UG 2026 exam on May 13, nine days after 2.27 million students took the exam in 551 cities. The move came after central agencies confirmed that the question paper had been hacked. Questions were available on some people’s phones as early as May 1, two days before the exam.
Kumar claimed that papers were leaked more than 80 times during exams under the current government. “NTA sends admit cards with pictures of random people. Check background of NTA director, you will find political RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]-BJP connection.”
The Congress has announced a helpline (9260030030) for Central Board of Secondary Education students who face problems related to online examination and answer sheet marks. A separate number will also be provided for NEET students, she said. Kumar appealed to the students not to commit suicide. “Don’t give up your precious life for someone else’s failure,” he said. “If you have to fight, fight for your rights.”
There was no immediate response from the BJP.
